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Online Job Board ClassifiedsFri, 24 May 2019 14:10:13 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.10This is the reason most people get stuck in mediocrityhttps://findmyemployment.com/blog/this-is-the-reason-most-people-get-stuck-in-mediocrity/
https://findmyemployment.com/blog/this-is-the-reason-most-people-get-stuck-in-mediocrity/#respondFri, 24 May 2019 14:10:13 +0000https://findmyemployment.com/blog/?p=1412The reason most people get stuck in mediocrity is because they refuse to fail. The reason people refuse to fail

]]>The reason most people get stuck in mediocrity is because they refuse to fail. The reason people refuse to fail is because they associate failure with defeat. Their fear of defeat paralyzes them to the point that they won’t move forward.

People are not finished when they’re defeated; they’re finished when they quit.

People equate failure with rejection but adversity is required if we want to succeed. We’re conditioned at a young age to be afraid of failure so we tiptoe into the world with the backbone of a wimp.

1. Suppress, ignore, or avoid negative emotions

When we make a mistake or experience a setback, we second-guess ourselves and question our abilities. As a result, we become afraid of failure and settle for mediocrity.

“The tragedy of life is often not in our failure, but rather in our complacency; not in our doing too much, but rather in our doing too little; not in our living above our ability, but rather in our living below our capacities”—Benjamin E. May

Modern culture tells us we should find ways to suppress or avoid negative emotion so we’ve become experts on how to push discomfort away. If you’re like most people, you’ve gone to great length to suppress negative emotions like anger, jealousy, and fear. It’s not that you don’t feel them; you’ve learned how to ignore them and pretend they don’t exist.

Recent research from the University of Texas has found that when we avoid emotions, it actually makes them stronger.

Emotions are meant to activate our body and propel us into action. When we decide to bury, ignore, or suppress our emotions, even negative ones, we put physical stress on our body.

How To Make It Work For You: While you need to acknowledge your negative emotions, you shouldn’t experience them all at once. It creates too much confusion in your brain. When you acknowledge your emotions one at a time, it makes them much easier to handle. Your amygdala, the emotional center of your brain, gets stuck when you suppress an emotion. When you acknowledge what bothers you, your frontal lobes get work. That is the region of the brain that solves problems and finds solutions.

2. Never prepare for the worst that can happen

There may be a few twinkletoes who skip through life on the sheer power of optimism, but smarter (and successful) people understand that unless we prepare for the obstacles and roadblocks that will be thrown into our path, we’ll continue to wallow in mediocrity.

“Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, and selfishness”—Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius was not a pessimist; he was a realist who prepared himself for any outcome. He was a stoic who did not want to be surprised and caught off guard at what might happen during his day. He knew how it felt to fall flat on his face when confronted with the unknown or unexpected.

Positive thinking is a cornerstone of mental toughness. The ability to look at your day in a realistic way and remind yourself of what could go wrong is not pessimism. It’s being smart. You will encounter rude bosses, conniving colleagues, and pain-in-the-ass customers. Why not prepare for them?

FBI agents do not prepare for arrests by assuming everything will turn out OK. They will conduct a pre-mortem so they can anticipate everything that could possibly go wrong and prepare for it.

People who get stuck in mediocrity are more likely to get frustrated and blow a deal or lose control during a tense negotiation. They’ve not had the foresight to imagine every conceivable setback and obstacle and find ways to cope and overcome the adversity before it becomes a reality.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy suggests spending time thinking about the potential downside of a conversation or event in advance can help you avoid an “oh shit” moment.

How To Make It Work For You: Take the time to think through the worst that could happen and allow yourself to feel the negative stuff. When you do, you’ll be able to manage the unproductive drama that these emotions can produce.

3. Live without good values

Let’s face it—most people settle for mediocrity because they’re clueless about their values. I mean real values, not the shitty ones that are measured by money, sex, or power. Shitty values are generated by greed and glamorized by the media. You know, the ones that promise white teeth, perfect hair, and a life of happiness.

Good values devolve when society coddles people to protect them from pain and suffering. Pain and suffering are the point because they teach us what to pay attention to when we’re young and learning how the world works. They teach us to differentiate between good and bad.

Good problems often produce failure, pain, and suffering; they are also the problems that will shape our values. Mediocrity rears its ugly head when we value the wrong things and expect them to make us happy.

Good values have certain criteria:

Within our control and not dependent on outside events to make them happen.

Bring a sense of meaning to our life.

Allow us to feel as though we’ve made a contribution to society.

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why” — Mark Twain

How To Make It Work For You: Spend time to discover what is important to you. Talk to people you admire or read biographies of a person you’d like to emulate. Why you pursue something is just as important as what you pursue. Find something greater than yourself and expect to encounter questions that will make you uncomfortable in the short-term.

4. Over reliance on talent

Success lures us into thinking that our talents are enough. We don’t take into consideration external factors or random events that could have played a hand.

Just because we made the right call once before does not mean we’ll be as lucky the next time. If you’ve lead a team that’s produced great numbers, it’s tempting to call yourself a genius and take credit for the achievement.

But, what if your genius turns out to be a stroke of good luck or the result of a competitor’s problems? Sugar can turn to shit overnight and you could find yourself fighting for scraps in the bloated middle that’s filled with one-hit wonders and everyone else sucked into the pull of mediocrity.

The way in which you deal with failure determines how you will achieve success.

A smart person will create a plan for success but it’s a mistake to create one and never change it. No matter how smart or talented you are, you will need to constantly revise your approach so you can measure and adjust as you go.

It’s just as essential to understand why you succeed as it is to understand why you fail.

How To Make It Work For You: Toast your success! Then conduct a post-mortem on how, and why, it happened. Take a look at all the pressure points along the way, those times when a decision or action made a significant difference in the outcome. Examine your thought process as you made each decision. What made the difference? Did you listen to your gut or make the choice based on facts? It’s not that there’s a right way to do things but it is important to understand how you make your decisions and what factors have input into them.

5. Unwilling to fail

“Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure”—Napoleon Hill

People get stuck in mediocrity because they tire of the constant battle to always win. They fail to understand that life is not all about winning and losing.

Entrepreneurs and successful startup companies fail, recover, rebuild, take a risk, and fail again. At some point it’s about something more important than success or failure; it’s about what they learned from the experience.

Failure is not fun but there is no one formula for success. It’s always a trial and error process where we choose whether or not to learn from our experiences.

You’re only stupid if you fail to learn from your failure.

How To Make It Work For You: Remember that when we fail, get up and try again, we build muscles. In the same way, let failure be a powerful learning tool to help you in the future.

]]>https://findmyemployment.com/blog/this-is-the-reason-most-people-get-stuck-in-mediocrity/feed/0The 8 Best People to Choose as Job Referenceshttps://findmyemployment.com/blog/the-8-best-people-to-choose-as-job-references/
https://findmyemployment.com/blog/the-8-best-people-to-choose-as-job-references/#respondThu, 23 May 2019 15:08:09 +0000https://findmyemployment.com/blog/?p=1409So you have a good feeling you’re going to nail your interview. After the interview, the potential employer will likely request

]]>So you have a good feeling you’re going to nail your interview. After the interview, the potential employer will likely request references. To prepare, you sit down to compile your list of references and it happens — your mind goes blank. Many people struggle to create their winning line-up of job references, even after several part-time jobs and years spent developing professional relationships.

Consider these eight people when making your reference list:

1. Recent bosses

Current or previous employers speak best about your work ethic. Leaving your boss off your reference list gives the impression there’s a reason you didn’t want your future employer to contact them.

Explain why you didn’t include your employer if you’re leaving them off your list of references. Maybe you don’t want your boss to know you’re looking for a new job. Regardless, include at least one person from your current job.

2. Co-workers

If you don’t get along with your boss, use a co-worker who is familiar with your work and worked directly with you. A work friend who doesn’t understand your job responsibilities won’t give the professional reference you need.

3. Professors

Professors teaching in a field related to the job you’re applying to make great references, and most are happy to help. However, your professor may not feel comfortable acting as your reference if they haven’t gotten to know you personally. Make the effort to guarantee the professor you respect knows you as more than a face in the classroom.

4. Friends… but only if they’re a professional reference

Most of the time, leave your friends off your list of references.

There are two occasions when using a friend as your reference is acceptable:

They’re currently employed at the business to which you’re applying.

They were your supervisor.

5. Group members

You probably worked on semester-long group projects while finishing your degree. Use your group members as references if the project turned out fantastic.

6. Any place you’ve volunteered

People you volunteer for are likely willing to be your reference. Plus, volunteering impresses hiring managers. It demonstrates your willingness to go beyond what is expected of you. Additionally, volunteering increases your chance of being hired by 27 percent, according to the Corporation of National and Community Service’s June 2013 Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment report.

7. The person you babysat for or whose lawn you mowed every summer

Think about the odd jobs you had while in high school and when you were home from college. A reference you’ve known for years lets employers know the consistency of your work ethic.

8. High school teacher or coach you still talk to regularly

Use a high school teacher or coach you’ve maintained contact with over the years if you’re short on references. Teachers and coaches often act as mentors throughout high school and into your early adult life.

]]>https://findmyemployment.com/blog/the-8-best-people-to-choose-as-job-references/feed/0How to Answer: What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?https://findmyemployment.com/blog/how-to-answer-what-are-your-strengths-and-weaknesses/
https://findmyemployment.com/blog/how-to-answer-what-are-your-strengths-and-weaknesses/#respondWed, 22 May 2019 18:49:25 +0000https://findmyemployment.com/blog/?p=1402Job interviews can get surprisingly intimate. You’ve only met the interviewer 10 minutes ago, and all of a sudden they’re

Job interviews can get surprisingly intimate. You’ve only met the interviewer 10 minutes ago, and all of a sudden they’re hitting you with a very deep set of questions: What are your greatest strengths? What are your weaknesses? These questions can take enormous powers of self-reflection to give an honest answer to. Rather than making your interviewer sit silently while you parse out what your greatest weakness is and how it’s impacted your career, it’s better to think of answers to these types of questions beforehand.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to identify your strengths and weaknesses, how to frame them in a clear, compelling narrative and what common pitfalls to avoid. You may even learn some new things about yourself along the way!

What Is the “Strengths and Weaknesses” Question?

You’ll almost always hear these questions in one form or another during a job interview.

Employers want to hear in your own words why you’re a good fit for the job and for the company. They might want to assess what potential issues there could be, too. It’s a chance for them to assess your capacity to be self-reflective.

Whether the question you’re asked is “what attributes will make you shine in this role?” or “what areas of your approach to work are you looking to improve?”, taking a hard look at your strengths and weaknesses — and learning how to communicate them effectively in a professional setting — will be invaluable for your next interview.

Determining Your Strengths

Generally, you’ll focus on your soft skills as strengths — there are other ways for interviewers and recruiters to glean hard skills, whether it’s through take-home assignments, a coding interview or examples of your past work. But with soft skills, you have to tell them the story.

“Don’t feel that your response needs to match what you said your manager and colleagues think of you,” said Sharlyn Lauby, president of consulting firm ITM Group Inc and founder of HR Bartender, to Glassdoor. “It’s perfectly natural to say, ‘One skill I haven’t been able to use much in my current role is [insert skill]. I hope to use it more in the role we’re discussing.’”

Here are some examples of strengths. Which ones do you identify with? Can you think of more that have helped you shine in your career?

Good communicator

Team player

Time management abilities

Conflict resolution

Ability to perform under pressure

Depending on the job, you might also choose to include hard skills in your strengths, citing your ability to code in a variety of languages, your knowledge of a foreign language or your experience as a copy editor as examples of why you would be a strong candidate for the job.

Determining Your Weaknesses

Determining our strengths is generally easier; it’s fun to reflect on and celebrate our successes. But what about the areas where we struggle? Do you ever set aside the time to take a look in the mirror to see where you are letting others — and yourself — down, and how you can improve?

“Employers expect candidates to have weaknesses… so you are better served by answering the question frankly. A candid answer will show your prospective employer your growth-mindset and will demonstrate a sense of self-awareness and honesty,” writes Jeevan Balani, Founder and CEO of Rocket Interview and frequent Glassdoor contributor.

Here are some examples of common career weaknesses. Can you identify with any of them? If so, what have you done to improve these weaknesses?

Wanting to control too many aspects of a situation

Procrastination

Inability to self-regulate, leading to burnout

Disorganized

Impatient

Again, you might choose to highlight some hard skills that are a weakness for you too, for example not being good with math, not being versed in a particular type of software or having trouble spelling — but only if it’s non-essential to the role.

How to Weave a Story

Now that you’ve got a solid list of your strengths and weaknesses, is it enough just to list them out when you’re asked during a job interview? Absolutely not! Backing up each strength or weakness with a relevant anecdote is critical to giving the interviewer the full picture of why you excel in one area, or what areas you’re working to get better in.

As an exercise to prepare, for every strength on your list, write down a story that showcases how you effectively used that strength to accomplish something in your career. For every weakness, write down a story about how that weakness had (or could have had) a negative repercussion in your career — then write what you learned from it, and what you’re actively doing to improve it.

Especially when answering about your weaknesses, framing is critical. You don’t want to make it seem like your flaws are immutable, or worse, incriminate yourself. You also don’t want to turn your weakness into a humblebrag, like “it’s hard for others to keep up with me because I think so fast.” So striking a reflective tone is key, which you can do by highlighting what you have learned about your weakness, and what you are doing to improve it.

On a more general note, try to match your strengths to the job description. It’s great if you’re a pro at skill X, but the job requires skills A, B and C, then your expertise in skill X might not be relevant. Similarly, keep the job description in mind when you share your weaknesses. If you’re applying for a job in copy editing, it’s probably not a good idea to say that your weakness is spelling.

Also, research on the company’s culture can help you decide which strengths and weaknesses to highlight, and how. If the company is known to be fast-paced and dynamic, you might want to highlight your strength in juggling many projects at once or your ability to pivot quickly to new tasks. But also be honest — if you find during your research that the company culture doesn’t seem like a good fit for you, then you might want to take a step back and reconsider, rather than trying to squeeze yourself into a mold that doesn’t quite fit.

Here are some example anecdotes for the strengths and weakness we defined above:

Strengths

I work well in teams. When my division reorganized and I was put on a team with people from different backgrounds and experience levels without a clear hierarchy, there was a lot of friction. I organized regular bonding sessions for our team that helped break down some boundaries in the office. I also took it upon myself to take some of the more cumbersome tasks that others didn’t want to do. When I left, a number of people on the team thanked me for the diplomacy and harmony I fostered in our work environment.

I’m good at time management. When I worked as a marketing manager, I had to schedule the release of promotional materials, get materials ready for a launch date and time when to stoke interest in my company’s products before their release. I would make detailed calendars with every step of a campaign before embarking, which included estimating time and making due dates for even the smallest of tasks. It was this ability that led to the success of the XYZ product launch, the most intensive project I worked on while at the company.

I perform well under pressure. When I worked as a consultant, I often had to give presentations to high-level executives at the company we were consulting at a day’s notice or less. I had to quickly learn how to speak confidently and fluently about material I had only drawn up the day before. Sometimes I would be interrupted and challenged, and I had to stand my ground, explain myself clearly and keep my cool. I believe that skill will make me a good fit in this role as a spokesperson.

Weaknesses

I have a tendency to procrastinate. This really came to a head when I was working on a big project, and overestimated the amount of work I could do at the last second. I ended up narrowly making the deadline, but it caused my team and my manager a lot of stress. After that, I started learning more about time management from my mentors at work, and I’ve started making detailed schedules weeks — and even months — ahead. I’m still working to create accurate timelines that I can easily follow, but I am heartened because I’ve found that it actually puts me at ease to work with a schedule.

I can be impatient, and this has caused me to sometimes micromanage my employees. I used to hound employees in advances of deadlines, because I was afraid if I didn’t, they wouldn’t turn in the work on time. I now see it cause a lot of stress for my employees, and I’m working to trust that they will get things in on time. So far, not a single deadline has been missed!

I have had a tendency to work until I reach burnout. After a while, I started noticing a pattern in my career that I would work very hard on projects, staying up all night to finish them in advance of deadlines, and making it a goal for myself to be the first one in the office every morning and the last one to leave. Ultimately, this was unsustainable, and after a big project I would often crash, and either become sick and have to miss work, or be lethargic while I was there. I’m now learning how to impose healthy limits on myself and to stick to a doable schedule so that I don’t risk burning out like that again.

What to Avoid

Told right, your answer to this question can inspire the interviewer and give them an intimate picture into how you work. It can help them assess whether your strengths and weakness will make you the right fit for your job, if your disposition will be a good fit with the team you’re working on and if you’ll fit into the company culture as a whole. But there’s a few things you need to keep in mind when delivering your answer, so that it doesn’t come off as bragging, overly humble or other common pitfalls.

Don’t brag.

Don’t minimize yourself by dwelling on your weaknesses

Don’t give examples that are too unrelated to work

Don’t ramble

Don’t give an example that will set off a red flag in the interviewer’s mind

“HR pros see through the, ‘I’m a perfectionist,’ response,” Lauby says. It’s still possible to keep it positive, though. For example, an answer Lauby gave: “I recently attended a customer service training program and I was reminded of some problem-solving skills that I need to start using again,” will certainly get the job done.

This interview question can be tricky, but don’t stress too much — with proper preparation, you’ve got it in the bag!

]]>https://findmyemployment.com/blog/how-to-answer-what-are-your-strengths-and-weaknesses/feed/0Why a side hustle really pays off after age 50https://findmyemployment.com/blog/why-a-side-hustle-really-pays-off-after-age-50/
https://findmyemployment.com/blog/why-a-side-hustle-really-pays-off-after-age-50/#respondTue, 21 May 2019 19:34:18 +0000https://findmyemployment.com/blog/?p=1399With the gig economy booming, even workers with traditional jobs are getting in on the action: Nearly four in 10

]]>With the gig economy booming, even workers with traditional jobs are getting in on the action: Nearly four in 10 Americans earn extra money from a side hustle, according to a new survey from Bankrate.

Millennials are more likely than any other age group to have a side gig: 38% of them pick up extra work at least once a month, while only 27% of 50- to 65-year-olds do the same, with crafts and home repair/landscaping the most popular part-time jobs for these older workers.

The financial payoff probably won’t be huge. For those who do extra work at least once a month, earnings average $836 a month, though two-thirds bring in less than $500 a month.

Yet even a small amount of extra income can be a big opportunity to plump up your long-term savings in the home stretch to retirement.

The best uses for the extra cash

Need motivation to start hustling? According to Northwestern Mutual’s 2018 Planning and Progress Study, one in three baby boomers has no more than $25,000 saved for retirement.

“They’re scrambling to make more money because they’re approaching retirement and realizing what they have saved isn’t going to last,” says Kathy Kristof, editor of SideHusl.com, a resource and education site for gig workers.

If you can pull in Bankrate’s overall average of $686 a month, that’s roughly $8,200 a year, which can go a long way toward rescuing your retirement. Just over half of 50- to 64-year-olds report that their gig income isn’t for regular living expenses. So that’s money that can be saved.

Say you’re 50 and plan to retire in 15 years. Put $6,500 of your side hustle earnings into a Roth IRA—the annual max is $5,500 plus $1,000 in catch-up contributions once you’re 50—and that money grows tax-free. If you earn a 6% annual return, you’d have an additional $160,371 for retirement by age 65.

Another tax-advantaged savings option: With self-employment income, you can fund a solo 401(k), which lets you put aside up to $61,000 if you’re 50 or older (less if you also fund a 401(k) at your day job).

Another potential use for these extra funds: debt repayment.

A 2017 report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that the number of Americans over 60 with student loan debt (most often taken out for kids or grandkids) has quadrupled over the past decade. The average of amount of debt they owe is $23,500. A side hustle could let you retire debt-free.

The less tangible benefits

While generating extra income may be your primary goal for starting a side hustle, the emotional benefits can be just as valuable. Kristof says that the connections you make by doing a side hustle can be especially important in retirement.

“Just keeping active and engaged does amazing things for your health and longevity,” she says. “It’s compellingly good for you economically, but it’s also good for you socially if you find the right side hustle.”

Lizbeth Meredith, a probation supervisor and now author and public speaker, launched a side hustle in her early 50s because she wanted to continue feeling relevant in retirement. “I’ve long noticed that my cohorts retire and either die or flounder if they didn’t make a transitional plan,” she says.

After publishing a memoir at age 51, she learned that she had a knack for public speaking. Still working at her 9-to-5 job, come the weekend she writes and does presentations around the country about her experiences as a domestic violence survivor.

“I am earning some extra cash, using a different part of my brain, and making a whole new friendship base,” says Meredith.

How to find your ideal gig

The ideal side hustle is something you do for fun first and financial reward second, Kristof says. Think about how much money you can earn and what interests you—and how far outside your comfort zone you’re willing to step.

Driving for Uber, for example, could bring up to $3,000 a month in extra cash, according to a 2018 survey of nearly 1,000 workers with side jobs by CreditLoan (the median: $350 a month). But you may not feel at ease picking up strangers.

Tutoring, on the other hand, could generate the same monthly income in a setting you might be more comfortable with.

Selling or renting property topped CreditLoan’s list as the most lucrative side hustle, but real estate investment can be high risk, especially close to retirement. And think about how much time you can commit.

“Go by what you like to do and then you’ll find one that will allow you to do it in the time that you have,” Kristof says.

For help finding legitimate side hustle opportunities, head to SideHusl and Side Hustle Nation, where you can also learn about the technical side of starting a side gig, such as paying taxes and setting up a retirement account.

You may come to love the gig economy. In a recent T. Rowe Price study of gig workers,including full-time freelancers and side hustlers, baby boomers beat out millennials and Gen Xers when it came to job satisfaction: 84% reported feeling positive about being members of the gig economy.

]]>https://findmyemployment.com/blog/why-a-side-hustle-really-pays-off-after-age-50/feed/0How to Search for a Jobhttps://findmyemployment.com/blog/how-to-search-for-a-job-2/
https://findmyemployment.com/blog/how-to-search-for-a-job-2/#respondTue, 21 May 2019 18:22:31 +0000https://findmyemployment.com/blog/?p=1390Whether you’ve never searched for a job before — perhaps you’re a new college graduate — or it’s been so long since

Whether you’ve never searched for a job before — perhaps you’re a new college graduate — or it’s been so long since you’ve applied to a position that you don’t know where to begin, have no fear, dear job seeker. This guide will take you through every step you need to take to snag your dream job, from how to prepare to the best days to search. Read on for more.

How to Prepare

As they say, sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to simply start. When you’re looking for a new job, this statement is true: with thousands of job listings to consider, and what seems like a million items on your job-search to-do list, it can be tough to force yourself to sit down at your computer and get to work. But the good news is, with preparation, you can make your job search so much easier. How can you prepare? Here are a few simple steps.

Ramp up your resume: You’ll want to tweak your resume for each job you apply to, but it is still a good idea to make sure it’s up-to-date and in tip-top shape. Reconnect with your references to make sure they’re still willing to vouch for you, and proofread for errors. Review your resume and ensure all dates, positions and descriptions are accurate.

Practice for an interview: While you can’t prepare for every single interview question you will be asked, you can still brush up on your interviewing skills by practicing your answers to the most common questions asked by recruiters and managers alike. Knowing how you will respond in advance will keep you cool, calm and collected during any future interviews.

Network: Mark industry events on your calendar that you can attend, where you can meet recruiters or industry insiders who can give you the scoop on open positions. Alternatively, join a club or organization you’re passionate about. You never know who you could meet there — or the ways you could help your resume pop — by giving your time to a good cause.

What Days You Should Search

You may think that any day is a good day to search for a job. And while that’s mostly true, data shows that there are better days to apply than others. In fact, Tuesday seems to be the best day of the week to send in your resume. (And the same research shows that you could find more success in your job search in the months of February, March, May and June.)

Another important element when it comes to the timing of your job search is to make sure it doesn’t consume all your time. (If it does, you’ll go crazy —trust us.) So stick to a 72-hour schedule, if possible: prepare on Monday, apply on Tuesday and follow-up on Wednesday.

What Sites You Should Use

Of course, we think Glassdoor is the best place to search for a new job. (The stats don’t lie: Glassdoor helps 67 million people per month in their job search.) But that doesn’t mean Glassdoor is the only site you can use in your job search.

If you’re looking for a flexible work schedule—or even the chance to work from the comfort of your couch five days a week—consider signing up on FlexJobs, a site that only posts job listings for positions that offer flexible or remote work options. (FYI: it’s a paid service.)

Another website you could use in your job search is LinkedIn. After all, it’s not just a place to post your resume; LinkedIn also posts job listings tailored to your field and interests. So, make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and robust, with projects, videos, or blogs.

Other sites that post job listings include: Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder and US Jobs.

How You Can Use Apps in Your Job Search

Your phone could be your new best job-search friend: with apps, you can ramp-up your job search, get prepared for an interview, get reminders for follow-ups and so much more.

Did you know Glassdoor has an app? It does! And it’s a great one to use to find jobs. The app pairs millions of open job listings with important information like company reviews, salary estimates, interview questions and more to help prep you for the job hunt.

You’ve got dozens of jobs to apply to, and that’s a lot to organize. We’ll get to the nitty-gritty of organizing your job search soon, but in the meantime, download Workflow, an app that will help you organize your job content and create shortcuts that will save you major time.

Once you’ve scheduled an interview, it’s time to practice your interview skills. If you’re the kind of person who clams up, consider using Orai as a speaking coach. The app will “coach you to add fewer filler words, speak clearly, and at a good pace,” according to its website.

Lastly, don’t forget the value of social media apps in your job search. You should use social media to build a personal brand, which will make you more attractive to a hiring manager. (For example, you can post pictures or summaries of projects you’ve worked on, include a short bio about your skills, or share articles that show you know a lot about the industry.)

How to Organize Your Job Listings

You’re applying to more than one job, and that’s a lot of information to keep organized.

But getting job listings organized is easy-peasy if you follow the advice in these simple tips.

Create a spreadsheet: with a few minutes spent in Excel, you’ll have a way to track all the jobs to which you’re interested in applying. Open a new document, then add cells for:

Company Name

Contact Details: include the name, email, and phone number of your contact at the company. In most cases, this will be a recruiter or hiring manager.

Date Applied

Deadlines and Interviews: deadlines for upcoming information the company asks for and scheduled interviews.

Date Followed Up: date you followed up after an application submission or interview.

Status of Application: whether you’ve been rejected, are waiting to hear back or have an interview scheduled.

Tip: Upload your spreadsheet to Google sheets, and download the coordinating Google app to your phone. This way, you can update your listings on the go, not just when you’re home.

]]>https://findmyemployment.com/blog/how-to-search-for-a-job-2/feed/010 Resume Tips You Haven’t Heard Beforehttps://findmyemployment.com/blog/10-resume-tips-you-havent-heard-before/
https://findmyemployment.com/blog/10-resume-tips-you-havent-heard-before/#respondMon, 20 May 2019 18:49:37 +0000https://findmyemployment.com/blog/?p=1386﻿Having a well-crafted resume can be the key to getting your foot in the door at the company of your dreams. But

]]>﻿Having a well-crafted resume can be the key to getting your foot in the door at the company of your dreams. But figuring out how to make your resume fully representative of your experience and also stand out is easier said than done. After all, hiring managers and recruiters generally only spend about 7 seconds reading your resume before deciding whether to move forward or not. Most people know the basics of how to put together a decent work history, but here are some tips you probably haven’t heard before that can help your resume stand up to the 7-second test.

1. Only include your address if it works in your favor.

If you’re applying to positions in the city or town you already live in, then go ahead and include your address. In this case, it lets the hiring manager know you’re already in the area and could theoretically start working right away.

But if you’re targeting jobs in another area and you’d need to move in order to start working, it’s probably a good idea to leave your current address off of your resume. Why? Recruiters are sometimes less excited to interview candidates from another city or state, since they often require relocation fees.

2. Be a name dropper.

It may be poor form to drop names in everyday life, but you absolutely should do it on your resume. If you’ve worked with well-known clients or companies, go ahead and include them by name. Something like: “Closed deals with Google, Toyota and Bank of America” will get recruiters’ attention in no time flat.

3. Utilize your performance reviews.

You might not think to look to your annual review for resume material, but checking out the positive feedback you’ve received in years past can help you identify your most noteworthy accomplishments and best work attributes — two things that should definitely be highlighted on your resume. Including specific feedback you’ve received and goals you’ve met can help you avoid needing to use “fluff” to fill out your work experience.

4. Don’t go overboard with keywords.

Many companies and recruiters use keyword-scanning software as a tool to narrow the job applicant pool. For this reason, it’s important to include keywords from the job description in your resume — but don’t go overboard. Recruiters can spot “keyword stuffing” a mile away.

5. Use common sense email etiquette.

There are two types of email addresses you shouldn’t use on your resume or when applying to a job via email: your current work email address, or an overly personal or inappropriate email address, like loverguy22@gmail.com. Stick with something professional based on your name in order to make the best possible impression.

6. When it comes to skills, quality over quantity.

There’s no need to list skills that most people in the job market have (Think: Microsoft Office, email, Mac and PC proficient), which can make it look like you’re just trying to fill up space on the page. Keep your skills section short, and only include impactful skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying to.

7. Choose to share social accounts strategically.

Including links to social media accounts on a resume is becoming more and more common. But it’s important to distinguish between professional accounts—like a LinkedIn profile or Instagram account you manage for work—and non-professional ones, like your personal Twitter or Facebook account. While it might be tempting to include a personal account in order to show recruiters who you are, you’re better off only listing accounts that are professionally-focused. Save your winning personality for an in-person interview.

8. Use hobbies to your advantage.

Not all hobbies deserve a place on your resume, but some do. Hobbies that highlight positive personality qualities or skills that could benefit you on the job are worth including. For example, running marathons (shows discipline and determination) and blogging about something related to your field (shows creativity and genuine interest in your work) are hobbies that will cast you in the best possible light and might pique a recruiter’s interest.

9. Skip generic descriptors.

Hardworking, self-motivated, self-sufficient, proactive and detail-oriented are all words you’ll find on most people’s resumes. But most job seekers are motivated and hardworking, so these traits don’t really set you apart from the rest of the applicant pool. Instead, focus on the specific skills and accomplishments that make you different from everyone else applying to the position.

10. Keep an accomplishment journal.

Keeping a log of your work accomplishments and positive feedback as they come up can make putting together or updating your resume significantly easier. Include as many details as possible so you don’t have to spend time tracking them down later.

]]>https://findmyemployment.com/blog/10-resume-tips-you-havent-heard-before/feed/0Struggling at Work? 3 Important Steps to Takehttps://findmyemployment.com/blog/struggling-at-work-3-important-steps-to-take/
https://findmyemployment.com/blog/struggling-at-work-3-important-steps-to-take/#respondFri, 17 May 2019 18:07:51 +0000https://findmyemployment.com/blog/?p=1383We all go through periods where we have a hard time keeping up on the job front. But if you’ve

]]>We all go through periods where we have a hard time keeping up on the job front. But if you’ve been struggling at work for quite some time, it’s crucial that you break that cycle. If you don’t, your performance might really start to slip to the point where your manager has no choice but to let you go. Even if things don’t reach that extreme, it’s hard to feel content and satisfied with your work when you feel like you’re barely hanging on. If that’s where you’re at, here are three critical moves to make immediately.

1. Get a mentor

A mentor could be just the person to ground you and give you some clear direction. In fact, 76% of workers think having a mentor is important, according to a study by Olivet Nazarene University, and people with mentors are generally happier at their jobs than those without.

If your company doesn’t have a mentoring program in place, start building relationships with seasoned employees you feel you can learn from, and see where things go from there. In the aforementioned study, 61% of mentor relationships developed naturally over time, so you don’t necessarily need a formalized arrangement to benefit from someone else’s expertise.

Keep in mind that your mentor doesn’t necessarily need to work at your company, or even your industry. If you establish a relationship with someone who can help guide you, it almost doesn’t matter what that person does for a living.

2. Fill in your knowledge gaps

If you’re having a hard time at work, there may be a number of different reasons for it, but if part of that struggle stems from feeling like you truly don’t know what you’re doing, that’s an issue you can address. First, pinpoint the skills or knowledge you’re missing to excel at your job. Then, figure out what it will take to fill in those gaps.

For example, if you don’t have the analytical skills many of your peers seem to possess, you might ask a colleague to spend a little time bringing you up to speed. Or, you might take a course on data analysis if it’s an area you haven’t previously dabbled in. The point, however, is to be proactive rather than resign yourself to consistently lagging behind.

3. Be open with your boss

Part of your manager’s job is to support you at work when you’re having a rough time. That said, your boss can’t help if you’re not honest about your struggles, so rather than bottle them up, ask for a meeting to discuss the elements of your job you’re most stressed over.

Maybe you feel that the deadlines you’re given aren’t manageable given your workload and meeting schedule; or maybe you feel you were never trained properly for your role, and as such, are still unclear as to how to tackle certain tasks. No matter the case, looping your boss in is your ticket to getting his or her help, so don’t keep your concerns to yourself for fear of judgment or backlash.

If you’re struggling at work, don’t let the cycle continue. Instead, seek help and knowledge to bust out of that rut and change your outlook for the better.

]]>https://findmyemployment.com/blog/struggling-at-work-3-important-steps-to-take/feed/0How to Create an Irresistible Resumehttps://findmyemployment.com/blog/how-to-create-an-irresistible-resume/
https://findmyemployment.com/blog/how-to-create-an-irresistible-resume/#respondThu, 16 May 2019 18:26:21 +0000https://findmyemployment.com/blog/?p=1379We all remember that very first time we saw an adorable, fluffy kitten in the window of our local shelter.

]]>We all remember that very first time we saw an adorable, fluffy kitten in the window of our local shelter. Or, perhaps, the initial impressions of our spouse or significant other. Maybe it was that designer purse or luxury sports car that you idealized and swore to land the six-figure job for. Whatever the goal, one word can sum up the characteristic that had you saying “I need that in my life.”

We’re talking about the quality of being irresistible, but not necessarily in the materialistic sense. When out on the job market, one of the greatest assets you can utilize for a callback, interview, or job offer is that hard to define “it-factor” that makes you a candidate that is impossible to pass up. Simply put, you want to be irresistible and you want your resume to reflect that trait to any and all potential employers. How to go about that, however, is easier said than done. With that in mind, here are a few real-world examples to help employers in specific employment scenarios instantly recognize that you are a talent that should not be passed up.

First Corporate Job

Maybe you’re fresh out of college or have a few internships under your belt and are ready to launch into the world of big corporate. While that school credit position you took at the local regulatory agency may be a big selling factor, your summer gig flipping burgers will probably send a few hiring managers running for the hills due to your inexperience. Craft your resume in such a way as to accentuate the pre-corporate America work that will be the most applicable to your given job, despite work history or length of time accumulated in individual roles. In addition, highlight the job roles that your employer will find advantageous to avoid leaving the position off of your CV altogether.

For Example:

Original Resume Statement:

Took customer orders and disbursed appropriate change at a local burger restaurant.

Instead, Try:

Led a team of five service professionals in a fast-paced shift resulting in a 25% increase in quarterly sales.

In short, focus on results rather than actions, especially for jobs that don’t quite fit the professional role you may be applying for. These characteristics will be more easily identifiable and translatable by employers to a different position. In addition, focusing on accomplishments allows the resume reviewer to more easily identify your overarching qualities that would apply to any position, no matter the industry or experience level required.

Early or Mid-Career Move

After you get past that initial entry level position, chances are you will have other roles to include on your professional resume. The trick with these mid-level positions, however, is to focus on the foundational tasks you learned earlier which will allow you to be a better employee as you advance throughout your career. Need an example of what it takes to convince a prospective employer that you’re ready to make that next career step? Don’t worry, we have one at the ready.

For Example:

Original Statement:

As an account manager, I successfully handled 15 individual clients and maintained their contracts.

Better Statement:

As an account manager, I successfully identified the needs of a variety of individual client accounts and was able to increase productive interactions and accounts payable turnaround times.

Instead of using generic qualities, focus on your actions and outcomes to illustrate within your resume. This will allow potential employers to successfully picture you in the role and will help demonstrate how the skills you achieved earlier in your career influenced your current capabilities.

The Final Word

As you can see, the ideal irresistible resume focuses more on goals and action items than on a description of your individual job responsibilities. Focus on your strengths and building blocks gained earlier in your career instead of generic qualities you believe you possess. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. When it comes to your resume, demonstrable results will always outspeak any narrative you may craft.

]]>https://findmyemployment.com/blog/how-to-create-an-irresistible-resume/feed/05 signs your interview went poorly (and what to do next)https://findmyemployment.com/blog/5-signs-your-interview-went-badly-and-what-to-do-next/
https://findmyemployment.com/blog/5-signs-your-interview-went-badly-and-what-to-do-next/#respondWed, 15 May 2019 17:10:50 +0000https://findmyemployment.com/blog/?p=1375Typically – and hopefully sooner than later! – after applying to jobs for a while you’ll eventually land an interview

]]>Typically – and hopefully sooner than later! – after applying to jobs for a while you’ll eventually land an interview or two. Some things you might ask yourself after going to a job interview are:

“Did my answers make sense?”
“Did the interviewer like me?”
“Was my interview outfit okay?”
“I wonder how I stack up against other candidates?”
“When will they get back to me?”

Asking yourself these questions and waiting around for the company’s response is all it seems you can do, doesn’t it? Unless, of course, you totally bombed the interview…in which case you’re probably also kicking yourself and wondering why even bother.

Then what?

For those times when you’re not sure how the interview went but have a feeling it wasn’t all the great, here are 5 signs your interview indeed went badly and what to do next if that’s the case.

There are a myriad of acceptable responses to any interview question, but silence is not one of them. If the interview questions were so unexpected to you (or you were so nervous) that you were unable to answer one or more of them at all, it’s unlikely that you were the strongest candidate for the role.

2. The interviewers don’t make eye contact with you

If interviewers aren’t connecting with you – evidenced through eye contact, smiling, and delving deeper into your responses with further questions – the interview may not be going as well as you planned. There can be a number of reasons for this: they’re not engaged with their conversation with you, you came underdressed, you have a negative history with the company or an interviewer, or you seem underwhelming as a candidate.

3. The hiring manager asks you to follow up with an assistant

If the hiring manager refers you to an assistant for follow-up or shares more than once how qualified your competition is, she might not be feeling strongly about your candidacy for the role. This might be because the information you shared in your interview revealed lack of qualification, you weren’t clear or convincing in your responses, or your responses don’t align well with your resume.

4. The interview is cut short or ends abruptly

It’s hard to tell when the team cuts your interview short since you likely don’t know their standard process. If your interview seems to end abruptly or unnaturally – or the whole thing lasted less than 30 minutes – it might be a sign that the team has already ruled you out. If it happens after a question you didn’t answer well, the chances are even greater that you were cut short.

5. Nobody asks how soon you can start

If you leave the interview and are never asked how soon you could start if offered or how much notice is required in your current role, you might not be a top candidate for the role.

What to do next

How you rebound after a poor interview experience determines your future success. Here’s what you can do to grow after a bad interview:

Work to identify where you went wrong. Be honest with yourself and schedule time with yourself to work on problem areas – whether that’s being more punctual, being more prepared, answering questions more clearly, or being more relaxed during interviews.

Contact the hiring manager via email for feedback. You can simply say, “I appreciate the opportunity to interview with your company. Would you be willing to share some feedback about my interview so that I can improve for the future?”

Study up on how to dress for an interview and be sure to follow those guidelines next time..

Practice in advance next time. Run a quick Google search of “common interview questions for” the job you’re seeking, and practice answering those questions in the mirror prior to your interview.

Read up thoroughly on the company before the interview. At the very least know what they do and also get to know their culture and what they look for in a candidate. You can typically find that information on their website, social media, and on employee review sites.

Go over your interview responses and specifically those that relate to past roles and bosses. Never, ever throw a company or boss under the bus in your responses and always take accountability for the outcomes you achieved.

Forgive yourself. Nobody is perfect and the only way you can truly rebound from a bad interview is to acknowledge it, learn from it and move on.

]]>https://findmyemployment.com/blog/5-signs-your-interview-went-badly-and-what-to-do-next/feed/0The 2 words that may be holding you back from successhttps://findmyemployment.com/blog/the-2-words-that-may-be-holding-you-back-from-success/
https://findmyemployment.com/blog/the-2-words-that-may-be-holding-you-back-from-success/#respondTue, 14 May 2019 17:18:22 +0000https://findmyemployment.com/blog/?p=1371“Good job.” This is the driving concept behind the main character’s success in the hit movie Whiplash. The main character is

This is the driving concept behind the main character’s success in the hit movie Whiplash.

The main character is an average drummer, at best. But he connects with a mentor who, rather unconventionally, takes him under his wing and pushes him to expect more from himself.

The movie is challenging to watch in the sense that you see this boy eventually internalize the demanding voice of his mentor, practicing to the point of bleeding fingers and insomnia — his mentor never once settling to give him the most simplest phrase of approval:

Good job.

Near the end of the movie, the mentor eventually explains, “There are no two words more harmful than good job.”

To think that you are “good enough” is to believe you have nowhere left to go, nothing else to improve upon

And of course, in the last scene of the movie, the once average boy has become a truly refined version of himself.

He is now a master drummer.

Although I’ll be the first to say I don’t always find this approach to mastery to be the most conducive or even emotionally healthy, there is something to be said for acknowledging that you always have something else to learn.

Personally, I think it’s important to take time along the way to pat yourself on the back for a moment, let yourself enjoy your new talents and successes.

But I am also a strong advocate for never lounging on one plateau for too long, and always looking for the next mountain to climb.

After all, that’s the only way you will grow

If you are surrounded by people that constantly tell you “good job,” you need to be very honest with yourself and ask whether that environment is positive and healthy, or actually detrimental in that it encourages stagnated growth.

The “good job” comments should never outweigh the “fix this” or “you can do better than that” comments.

It is harsh and more challenging, no doubt — but it is also what is required to make it to the levels of success most people claim they want.

That’s the irony of “success.”

People tend to see it as this path flourishing with rewards and vacations, pleasures and relaxation. And yes, you may eat at finer restaurants, vacation to more private places, sleep in a bigger bed, or drink a more expensive cup of coffee, but the internalized path of success will never change.

It will forever be tough, and forever be demanding, and forever be a process of asking yourself what’s next to learn.

I do not suggest going off the deep end and never acknowledging what you do well.